DR Congo election: Fayulu calls for non-violent protests

Democratic Republic of Congo opposition leader Martin Fayulu has called on his supporters to organise protests after the constitutional court rejected his challenge to the official presidential election results.

Rival opposition candidate Felix Tshisekedi was declared the winner of the 30 December poll.

Mr Fayulu argued that Mr Tshisekedi had made a power-sharing deal with the outgoing president, Joseph Kabila.

Mr Tshisekedi’s team denies this.

His supporters took to the streets of the capital, Kinshasa, after the ruling was made in the early hours of Sunday morning to celebrate.

Despite the court’s decision, Mr Fayulu said he was the “legitimate” president.

“With this ruling, the constitutional court has defied the Congolese people, the African Union and the whole international community,” he said after the ruling was made.

He added that his supporters should organise “non-violent protests all over the country to defend its sovereignty”.

The African Union (AU) said on Friday that there were “serious doubts” about the outcome of elections.

What did the court say?

The court said Mr Fayulu had failed to prove that the election commission had announced false results.

It went on to declare “Felix Tshisekedi president of the Democratic Republic of Congo by simple majority”.

He is now expected to be sworn in within 10 days.

Violence has always accompanied the change of leadership in the country.

But the row over the the results has dented hopes the election could bring the first orderly transfer of power since DR Congo’s independence from Belgium in 1960.